Thermal storage for high load short duration cooling

Abstract

A thermal management system for a directed energy weapon includes a closed loop vapor compression system through which a thermal management fluid circulates. The vapor compression system including an expansion valve and an evaporator. The directed energy weapon is arranged in thermal communication with the evaporator. The expansion valve is adjustable to control a flow of the thermal management fluid provided to the evaporator in response to a mode of operation of the directed energy weapon.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A thermal management system for a directed energy weapon comprising:
 a closed loop vapor compression system through which a thermal management fluid circulates, the vapor compression system including an expansion valve and an evaporator, the directed energy weapon being arranged in thermal communication with the evaporator;   wherein the expansion valve is adjustable to control a flow of the thermal management fluid provided to the evaporator in response to a mode of operation of the directed energy weapon.   
     
     
         2 . The thermal management system of  claim 1 , wherein the expansion valve is in a first position when the directed energy weapon is in a charging mode and the expansion valve is in a second position when the directed energy weapon is in a firing mode. 
     
     
         3 . The thermal management system of  claim 2 , wherein in the first position, the valve is substantially closed and in the second position, the valve is substantially open. 
     
     
         4 . The thermal management system of  claim 2 , wherein the thermal management fluid has a first flow rate when the valve is in the first position and the thermal management fluid has a second flow rate when the valve is in the second position, the second flow rate being greater than the first flow rate. 
     
     
         5 . The thermal management system of  claim 2 , wherein when the valve is in the second position, the thermal management fluid provided to the evaporator is a liquid. 
     
     
         6 . The thermal management system of  claim 1 , wherein the closed loop vapor compression system further comprises at least one thermal storage device. 
     
     
         7 . The thermal management system of  claim 6 , wherein the evaporator further comprises an inlet and an outlet and the at least one thermal storage device further comprises a first thermal storage device fluidly connected to and configured to provide thermal management fluid to the inlet of the evaporator and a second thermal storage device fluidly coupled to and configured to receive thermal management fluid from the outlet of the evaporator. 
     
     
         8 . The thermal management system of  claim 7 , wherein the thermal management fluid received within the first thermal storage device is a liquid and the thermal management fluid received within the second thermal storage device is a vapor. 
     
     
         9 . The thermal management system of  claim 6 , further comprising a pump in fluid communication with the at least one thermal storage device, the pump being operable to move thermal management fluid from the at least one thermal storage device to the evaporator. 
     
     
         10 . The thermal management system of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal management fluid is refrigerant. 
     
     
         11 . The thermal management system of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal management fluid is carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         12 . The thermal management system of  claim 1 , wherein the vapor compression cycle is sized based on an average cooling required for the directed energy weapon. 
     
     
         13 . A method of operating a thermal management system for a directed energy weapon, the method comprising:
 circulating a thermal management fluid through a closed loop vapor compression system including an expansion valve and an evaporator, the evaporator being in thermal communication with the directed energy weapon; and   adjusting a position of the expansion valve to control a flow of the thermal management fluid provided to the evaporator in response to a mode of operation of the directed energy weapon.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein adjusting the position of the expansion valve further comprises moving the expansion valve to a first position when the directed energy weapon is in a charging mode. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising accumulating thermal management fluid within a first thermal storage device when the directed energy weapon is in the charging mode, wherein the thermal management fluid within the first thermal storage device is a liquid. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein adjusting the position of the expansion valve further comprises moving the expansion valve to a second position when the directed energy weapon is in a firing mode. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising pumping the thermal management fluid from the first thermal storage device to the evaporator when the directed energy weapon is in the firing mode. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising accumulating thermal management fluid within a second thermal storage device when the directed energy weapon is in the firing mode, wherein the thermal management fluid within the second thermal storage device is a vapor. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the thermal management fluid is refrigerant. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the thermal management fluid is carbon dioxide.